William Paul Arrendale, 84 years old, of Elizabeth, Colorado passed peacefully on May 21, 2026. Bill was born in Superior, Arizona on April 16, 1942, to his parents, Charles Edward Arrendale and Isabel Vega Arrendale. He had three sisters (Sylvia, Pat, and Roselinda) and three brothers (Charlie, Jim and Rene). He is survived by his wife, Cathy Lynne Murphy Arrendale, his siblings, Sylvia Ellison, James Arrendale (Trudy), Rene Arrendale (Diana), and Roselinda Larson. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews on the Arrendale and Murphy sides of the family. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Charlie, and his sister, Pat.

Bill was raised in Superior, Arizona until the 8th grade. He loved Superior and talked of it often – he had special memories of Apache Leap, Picket Post Mountain, their home at 774 Brown Street, the little yellow store, and growing up with his siblings, his parents and his grandpa. He had a paper route to earn money. Along the way he would often pilfer milk from people’s porches, take it home and make sure his siblings saw him spit in it so they wouldn’t drink it. Pat’s homemade tortillas were a favorite. Pat shared that, as a young girl, she wasn't tall enough to reach to stove. Her dad made her a stepstool so she could stand at the stove and cook tortillas. Bill would eat the tortillas as Pat cooked them and then put extras in his pocket for later.

It was widely known that Bill loved the game of baseball and he was an excellent ball player. He credited his older brother Charlie with teaching him the fundamentals of baseball and instilling the desire to be a good player. Charlie would wake him up at the crack of dawn when he was just seven years old to practice. Bill played on the Superior Red Sox Little League Team and the Superior Pony League Team.

His family moved to Prescott, AZ where he attended High School, playing basketball, baseball and football. He excelled in baseball, pitching and playing center field. There were newspaper articles that talked about his “into-the-bleacher” home runs. His Dad shared a story about the time Bill hit the ball over the lights at Ken Lindley Field. The ball bounced and hit the stone wall of the Smoki Museum, now known as the “Museum of Indigenous People”. Bill was one of the few players who could throw a knuckle ball. To hit it was difficult, but it was also difficult for the catcher to catch it. He was often brought in as a closing pitcher. He still holds some of the batting records at Prescott High School.

In his junior year, he transferred to Needles, California High School to play varsity baseball where he attended a big-league baseball clinic sponsored by the Dodgers. Along with sports, he acted in the Needles school play, playing the part of “A Man” in Rebel Without a Cause”. He moved back to Prescott for his Senior year where he excelled in baseball, setting batting records and had the highest batting average in his senior year.

He graduated from Prescott High School in May 1961. He moved to Tucson and attended the University of Arizona for one semester. In 1962 he graduated from the Tucson Police Academy as the department’s first officer who attained that status after starting as a police cadet. He attained “Master Shooter” level, representing the department and competing on a four-man team.

He moved to Nevada and Utah, working at various jobs, including piecework carpentry, the Nevada Test Site, and traveling to South America as a salesman for the dairy industry selling powdered milk. He worked hotel security, he was a member of the North Las Vegas Police Department and served as a Bailiff in the municipal court with his good friend Zane Azbarea who was the judge at the time.

He moved from Las Vegas to Utah and then to Bagdad, Arizona, going to work at the Bagdad Copper Mine in May 1980. He met Cathy in Bagdad in July 1980 and that's when the 46-year adventure began. They lived in Bagdad for a few years and in 1984 bought a place on the Santa Maria River and lived off of a 5KW Whitte generator. They married in 1987 and moved to Tucson. Bill attended Pima College, obtaining his associate’s degree in construction technology, graduating in December 1989 with honors.

Bill was extremely good at and math. He tutored nieces and nephews, especially Jennifer, who had a natural aptitude for math and said she learned a lot from him.

Cathy and Bill moved to Colorado in 1991 and built their forever home with help from Cathy's parents, Uncle Elmer Bill’s brother, Rene. Regardless of where they traveled and lived for various projects or work assignments, such as London for 5 months and Seattle for two years, they always made it back home to the place they loved the most in Colorado.

Bill loved the mountains, hiking, camping, hunting and exploring in general. He could be happy at the top of a mountain with a knife between his teeth – he was the ultimate survivalist. He was happiest when he was outside doing anything, especially when he was building something.

Bill worked for Lamwood Systems in Colorado for ten years, designing roofing and flooring systems for various small and large projects. His construction background was a great primer for this role as he was praised for his ability to break down complex projects ensuring accuracy when it came to the actual construction on site.

Bill enjoyed playing chess, reading, music, and family hunting trips. He taught Cathy how to be street smart and always be aware of her surroundings. He was tough, fearless, and strong. If anyone was the unfortunate recipient of a pop to the jaw with his left fist, they learned just how strong he was. He never hesitated to go to the aid of someone in trouble. While working for the North Las Vegas Police Department, there was an incident where Bill was accused of attacking a man for no reason. Harry Reid was his defense attorney – of course the case was won – there was always good reason for his actions.

Although Bill had a tough demeanor, if you knew him, you would know that his compassion and caring was endless for those he loved, children of all ages and his animals. He was an amazing caregiver to Cathy's Mom as she went through cancer treatment.

Bill was loved and will be deeply missed by those who knew him and loved him. Our memories of him will be forever cherished and never forgotten. 

Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery
10940 E Chandler Heights Rd,
Chandler, AZ 85248

MEMORIAL SERVICES
Saturday, June 13, 2026
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

CELEBRATION OF LIFE
12:00 PM TO 2:00 PM